Violin Music: The Heart of Gypsy Music and Ravel’s 'Tzigane'
Gypsy music is at its base folk music, though wildly virtuosic
Just as a Hungarian stew recipe varies as it travels the globe, the nomadic Gypsy people picked up many cultures, languages, and local habits as they migrated across Europe. They are now such a widely diverse people, scattered across more than 20 countries, that two communities rarely speak even the same dialect. Yet their vibrant music is unmistakable and irresistible in all its guises. Now widely loved, and popular among violinists as a show piece, Ravel’s epic violin work Tzigane is an outstanding tribute to Gypsy music. It continues the centuries-old tradition of fusing Gypsy elements with contemporary musical styles and a composer’s imagination. Long-lived results of this fruitful mix range from Haydn’s Gypsy Rondo from his G major Trio to copious works by Brahms, Sarasate, and Liszt, and on to the 20th-century works of Georges Enesco and Béla Bartók.
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